


By the Lake

by moonwillow27458



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Campfires, Eventual Romance, F/F, Panic Attacks, Slow Build, Summer, Summer Camp, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-07-25 16:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7540588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwillow27458/pseuds/moonwillow27458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the help of her foster parents, Charlie goes to summer camp. There's hiking, paintball, arts and crafts; basically as much fun as Charlie could imagine in one summer. With her best friend by her side, she seems unstoppable. That is until she meets her incredibly tricky room mate, Bela Talbot. It is clear that, despite how much Charlie attempts to cheer her up, Bela does not want to be there and wants nothing to do with her cabin - which means that all of Charlie's chances with her are non-existent.</p>
<p>Can Charlie change Bela's opinions of camp, and maybe of herself?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest thing I've ever written to be published, and I'm still working on the last few chapters (I know where the story is headed though, so don't fret about it not ending!!) 
> 
> The tags will change when more chapters are up (as will the characters/relationships list - don't want to spoil too much right away ;) )
> 
> This was originally written for the spn femslash bang, but that (sadly) fell through last minute, so I'm posting it anyway!!

Charlie hopped off the bus, one hand clutching a hold-all, the other catching the backpack that was slipping off her shoulder. She took in her new surroundings, which included kids running around everywhere, jumping between wooden cabins as disgruntled councillors tried to calm them. It was the first time Charlie had ever been at camp, and so she knew it would be an interesting summer. But even so, no amount of planning had prepared her for how overwhelming the vast greenness would be.

A hand landed on Charlie’s shoulder, the thumb gently rubbing circles to comfort her. Charlie turned to see Sam stood behind her. It was only because of Sam’s parents that Charlie was able to go to camp at all - they weren’t the richest, but they had offered their hearts out, and she was eternally grateful for that. They had fostered her after the accident, cared for her like they would Dean or Sam. To be quite honest, she didn’t know where she’d be without the Winchesters.

A councillor came over to greet all the kids that had been on the bus with Sam and Charlie. She had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, round cheeks, and a wide grin. As each child passed her, she handed them a red sucker and a pat on the head. Okay - so this must have been the fun one. Sam had explained that there was always a nice counsellor and a strict one. It looked like his theory was holding up for now - but Charlie didn’t know if she wanted to meet the counsellor that would prove it.

“Hiya guys! I’m Donna!” She came over to greet Sam and Charlie. They were each given a lollipop, an itinerary pack, and a map of the campsite. “The rules and introductions assembly is starting in the mess hall in about 10 minutes.” Sam nodded and dragged Charlie away by her wrist.

“You can’t let them draw you in,” Sam hissed. “They’ll get you talking about your feelings and crap.” He pushed his backpack further up his shoulder and ducked his head.

“Ooh feelings! The Winchester’s mortal enemy,” Charlie laughed. She wasn’t afraid to talk about feelings - at least not like Sam and Dean were. As long as no one mentioned her parents, Charlie would be fine. Sam smacked Charlie in the stomach, grumbling about her under his breath.

They reached the mess hall quickly, managing to find a table near enough to the back so they could go by unnoticed. All the younger kids had swarmed to the front, flocking to the nearest adult. That happened to be a tallish woman with an army jacket and cropped brown hair. Charlie presumed she’d be the grumpy one.

When more or less all the seats were filled, the woman began to talk. “Hi, I’m Jody Mills, and I’m this year’s camp leader.“ She began a speech about the rules and regulations of the camp, different activities available, and the living arrangements. Sadly, Charlie would not be allowed to share with Sam - something about not wanting to make babies, and innocence, and all. But that wouldn’t be a problem for Charlie, oh no.

The problem would be keeping Charlie away from all the girls.

Once the meeting was over, they were all sent to their respective cabins, to get set up and meet their roommates. Charlie was the first one to get to hers, the Bluebell cabin. Inside, there were 3 bunk beds, making space for six people. She swung her backpack onto the top bunk of the centre bed. Dust flew off the green blankets, sending Charlie into a coughing fit. At that exact moment, the dorm door opened to reveal two girls stood in the doorway. The first one, a shortish girl with brown hair, rushed forward and began to pat Charlie on the back. Her friend, a girl with hair as red as Charlie’s own, stepped forward with wide eyes and a panicked expression.

"Do you need me to get a counsellor?” The redhead asked.

“No, I’m good, it’s just a bit of dust,” Charlie managed to choke out. The brown haired girl handed Charlie a plastic water bottle. She downed the contents, clearing her throat of all the dust choking her. With a heavy breath, she handed back the water bottle. “Just an fyi, don’t pat the bed sheets if you don’t want to die.”

The red haired girl laughed a little, amused by Charlie’s dry sense of humour. Her friend was already staking claim on the bunk furthest from the door. Climbing onto the top bunk, she dropped her bag and created another dust cloud - smaller, this time, thank God - but Charlie had sense to open the door. The dust filtered outside, and Charlie saved herself from another coughing fit.

“I’m Anna, by the way,” the redhead smiled, holding her hand out for Charlie to shake. Her nails were painted a blood red, which Charlie noticed with some reserve. From the outside, Anna looked like a good, conservative girl - but anyone who painted their nails that colour couldn’t be just that. Nervous, Charlie took hold of the offered hand, limply shaking it. Anna retracted her arm and pointed to the other girl. “That’s Ruby.” Ruby gave a small wave, but she was mostly preoccupied with unpacking.

“I’m Charlie,” she smiled warily. Anna and Ruby looked slightly older than Charlie, maybe 16-17, which was kind of intimidating, to tell the truth.

“I hope there’s no spiders in here,” Ruby grumbled, her voice deep and sultry. She swatted at a cobweb that hung above her head and shivered. She didn’t come across as the type to be scared of spiders; her leather jacket made her look way too punk for fears. A chuckle burst from Anna, who reached forward to pet Ruby’s hair.

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll catch them for you,” Anna smirked, then leaned forward and ran her fingers through Ruby’s hair. Grinning, Ruby grabbed the back of Anna’s head and pulled her into a chaste kiss. So they were lesbians, or at least not straight; they were like Charlie.

There was a knock on the door frame and Anna sprung away from Ruby, who flopped back onto the bed with a dazed expression. Charlie turned to greet the newcomer. She was blonde, looked about Charlie’s age, and had a slight scowl to her face. The tension grew a little, a stare down between her and the other bunk mates. Then she broke the silence by throwing her duffle bag onto the bed to the right, bottom bunk.

She didn’t say anything, just crawled onto the bed beside her bag. Charlie was more than a little startled by the girl. She rolled around on her bed, changing positions once or twice before settling. When she realised the rest of the cabin was watching her, she turned to face them.

“Hi?” She said, eyebrows furrowed.

“Hi,” Charlie replied. “I’m Charlie, and this is Anna and Ruby. We’re roommates, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she snorted. “I’m Jo, call me Joanna and I will actually knock you out, but other than that you should be fine.”

“Feisty, I like her,” Ruby remarked, which made Jo roll her eyes.

They were interrupted by another person at the door. This girl was a lot shorter than even Ruby, and had curly, brown hair, and round cheeks. She had a mischievous grin and a quirked eyebrow, checking all the girls out as she walked into the centre of the room. She didn’t have any bags with her, which meant she’d probably be borrowing a lot off the others. Still, she didn’t seem too bad.

“Meg,” she grunted out in a greeting.

“Anna, Ruby,” Anna pointed to herself and her (what Charlie presumed to be) girlfriend. “This is Charlie and Jo.” Nodding, Meg took a final look before pushing herself onto the bed above Jo’s. She slipped a little, but quickly recovered and fell further onto the bed.

“Great,” Meg mumbled, laying down on the bed. So that left only one more bed, right underneath Charlie.

The final girl walked in, a singular flowered backpack hanging from her shoulder. She wasn’t dressed like she was going to camp; she was wearing Levi jeans and stark white blouse. All five girls stared at the newbie expectantly, waiting for her to tell her name. She was beautiful. Charlie could see in her emerald eyes and delicate lips, and it would be good to know her name.

But instead of greeting them, the girl slipped onto the only free bed - the one beneath Charlie’s.

Ruby and Anna shared a look, brows furrowed and lips chewed. Shrugging, Jo jumped onto her own bed, and Meg carried on with her minimal unpacking. Well, Charlie wasn’t giving up on this girl so easily. She waited for Anna and Ruby to start talking, or - making out, or whatever (she wasn’t jealous, no, not at all), before she knelt beside the bed.

“Hey,” Charlie greeted cheerfully. “I’m Charlie!” She plastered a smile on her face, hoping to make the girl feel more at home. The girl turned her head and raised her eyebrows as she took in Charlie.

“Bela,” she replied. Her accent was some kind of British, sounded like someone from Doctor Who. Charlie grinned; Bela didn’t seem totally opposed to her, which was always a good sign.

“It looks like we’re bunk mates,” Charlie said, nodding to the top bunk. She opened her mouth, words poised on the tip of her tongue, but Bela spoke first.

“With the kindest regards, please piss off,” she muttered. Without another word, she stuck her earphones in and turned the volume up so much so that Charlie could hear Lana Del Rey blasting through them.

“Well that was rude,” Charlie grumbled, standing up. From the corner bed, she could hear the joint giggling of Ruby and Anna. They were cuddled up on the bottom bunk in a way that made Charlie’s stomach lurch. That could be her; she wished it were her.

Before Charlie could dwell on the subject any longer, there was another knock on the still open door. One of the younger counsellors - Charlie could vaguely remember her being called Cassie - poked her head around the door. All of the girls (well, all of them aside from Bela) perked up at the sight of her, leaning forward to see what she had to say. Cassie took this as a good sign and slipped into the room.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted with a wide smile. “How’re you all settling in? Good?” Charlie nodded, and she could feel all the others nod too. “That’s good. So there’s a campfire going to start in about ten minutes if y'all are interested.” Cassie pulled a packet of marshmallows and threw them at Ruby.

The group all looked at each other, silently asking if everyone else wanted to go. Eventually Jo made the executive decision and stood up and walked towards the door. The others followed, heading in the direction Cassie pointed them in.

The campfire was good. Charlie was sat next to Sam, and the whole crowd was singing. But then it got to be too much. The heat on Charlie’s face, the smoke billowing down her throat, it - it was like she was back in the burning car, struggling for breath. Charlie leapt up and ran away, ran far from her problems. Sam hastily followed, rubbing soft circles on her back until she could breath again. Somehow, she thought the difficulty breathing had little to do with the smoke.

That night, she dreamt in terms of death and danger.


	2. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie wakes up, talks to Bela for a bit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So friends, I am going on holiday on Friday, so this is the last update for about 2 weeks!!

When Charlie woke up, the door was slightly ajar and a soft breeze was flowing through the stifling air of the cabin. Peering over the edge of her bunk, Charlie saw that Bela wasn’t in the room, but that her sheets were pulled back and her pyjamas were laid out on the pillow. So Bela was definitely up and about. Charlie pulled on a pair of jeans over her flannel shorts and slipped on a pair of Vans before heading out of the door.

It was still pretty dark outside, and some of the counsellors were still walking around with flashlights in hand. A counsellor with long, curly hair walked by, flashlight just illuminating the ringlets of her hair. Charlie narrowly dodged the beam of light, hiding behind the cabin next door. She paused for a moment, back pressed against the wooden slats, before taking off in search for her roommate.

She couldn’t see Bela anywhere around the camp; not a hint of movement could be spotted in the campsite. But Charlie was persistent. Silently, she padded to the lake - a short walk from their cabin - and noted the silhouette of someone sat on the riverbank. The sun was just starting to rise on the horizon, and Charlie could just about make out Bela’s features. Her head was resting on her knees, and she had a forlorn expression on her face that Charlie wanted to hug out of her.

She knew to approach with caution.

“Hey… roomie,” Charlie greeted with uncertainty. Bela turned sharply, wiping her eyes as she faced her. Frowning, Charlie paused for a second. Had Bela been crying?

“Shut up, I’m not your roomie,” Bela spat venomously, fire in her still damp eyes. Blinking, Charlie backed off a little. If that wasn’t rude, she didn’t know what was. But Bela seemed adamant about insulting her, and Charlie didn’t have the guts to protest it. “Please, leave me alone. Just go back to the cabin.”

“Nuh-uh, it’s cold out,” Charlie argued. The temperature was not what it should have been, not for mid summer in Kansas, but it was still early morning. A shiver ran down Charlie’s spine as she talked about it. “Plus, you could get our whole cabin into trouble if you stay here. Which would be absolute shit for the rest of us.”

“Fine, so I come back with you - then what?” Bela snapped. “I sit around, watch you do arts and crafts? I can guarantee I won’t be joining in.” Charlie rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore Bela’s sarcasm.

“Fine, stay out here and freeze to death,” Charlie shrugged, stumbling back up the bank. There was no change in Bela’s demeanour as Charlie left, not an ounce of giving a crap. If Bela was going to be that way, Charlie could too. She creeped back into the cabin, got dressed, and waited for breakfast to start.

Sam sat across from Charlie at the bench table, dropping his red plastic tray of eggs onto the surface. Though he looked tired, he seemed to cheer up as he saw Charlie. She didn’t know if his roommates had kept him up all night, but he looked how she felt, so the likelihood was high. She watched him play with the scrambled eggs on his tray for a second before giving up and pushing them away.

“So, how are your roommates?” he asked with a sigh. Charlie rolled her eyes; after the thing with Bela that morning, she didn’t know what to think.

“I don’t know. I guess most of them are okay,” she started, pausing only to look around for Bela before continuing. “There’s this one girl called Bela, she’s a bit weird. Like this morning I found her sat by the lake crying! She wouldn’t let me help her, just told me to piss off.” Sam laughed, full body laughter as he tipped his head back.

“That’s your problem? She won’t let you help?” Sam’s giggles died down soon. “You do know not everyone has the capability of being constantly content, right? Seriously, you’re too happy for your own good sometimes. Some problems can’t just fix themselves by spouting shit to strangers. Anyway, I can guarantee I have a roommate that’s weirder.”

“Really?” Charlie challenged. Sam took a sip of orange juice before speaking.

“His name is Andy. He’s a funny guy,” Sam started. Narrowing her eyes, Charlie gestured for Sam to continue. “But he only seems to speak in Star Wars references - and not our kind of reference. He literally just quotes the film whenever he’s replying to someone. I’m like ninety percent sure he’s a stoner. And he has a creepily consistent way of getting what he wants - it’s like he’s subliminally programming people! He’s strange.”

“Well, so are you, so you’re gonna have to suck it up, fly boy,” Charlie chuckled. She turned to her meal, the same stale eggs Sam had, and began digging in. There was a rumbling in her stomach that wouldn’t go down well on the nature trail.

“That’s not even the worst news,” Sam grumbled. Just as he was about to open his mouth, someone plonked onto the seat next to him, rocking the whole table. A whimper came from Sam, very unexpectedly, so Charlie looked over to the person sat beside him.

“Hey, Dean?” Charlie said, confused. “What’re you doing here? Aren’t you too old for camp?”

“Actually, I’m a counsellor,” Dean smiled proudly. He kinda puffed his chest out, straightening his posture in a military style. “So, what were you guys talking about?”

“Charlie’s weird roommate,” Sam pointed an egg covered spoon in Charlie’s direction. “She won’t talk to Charlie, so obviously there’s something wrong with her.“

"She won’t talk to anyone, though,” Charlie protested. “Like there’s other girls in our cabin that are quiet, but Bela’s something else.”

“Oh, I get it,” Dean chuckled. Charlie narrowed her eyes suspiciously, urging Dean to elaborate.

“You’ve got a crush on her, don’t you?”

“What? No! I mean, she’s pretty, and she’s got a real nice accent, but she’s kinda a jerk,” Charlie babbled. Dean raised his eyebrows and barely held back laugh. She cursed herself for proving his point; she didn’t want this crush on Bela, but it seemed she was stuck with it.

Cassie appeared behind Dean, gently touching him on the shoulder. He looked up at her with a smile, listening to her talk about some nature hike (Charlie didn’t really pay attention). Muttering an apology, Dean stood up and headed out with Cassie, leaving Charlie and Sam by themselves again.

“So… do you wanna go on the hike? It’s really nice,” Sam asked. Charlie said yes, but was too preoccupied with thoughts about a certain British beauty to really know what she was signing herself up for.


	3. Like an Indie Film

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie goes on a hike up a mountain, but is distracted by thoughts of Bela the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this has taken so long to post, I've been busy with college and my mental health and everything, I'm gonna try posting more often and hope this is good for y'all.

Dean and Cassie were leading the "expedition", a hike up the mountain that overlooked the camp. Sam said the walk wasn't bad, they stopped half way up so they could eat lunch before walking back down. It was a hike Charlie could do, so she dutifully signed up with Sam. 

The group was quite large, most of the teenagers at the camp, including Anna and Ruby. All the way up the mountain, they were sneaking glances and touches whenever Dean or Cassie looked away. It was so cute that Charlie wanted to puke. Or maybe switch places with one of them, she didn't know. The confusion she felt when she looked at happy couples frustrated Charlie to no end.

None of that mattered though, when she glanced across the lake. The path they took was breathtaking. In the height of the Kansas summer, the trees flourished with luscious green leaves, and flowers spurted up from every available piece of land. Dandelion seeds drifted through the air, flitting across like fairies. It was like something out of an indie film; but sadly Charlie was not the main character. There was no great road trip, no manic pixie dream girl waiting. Just a bunch of screaming kids and a bunk mate who wouldn't talk to her.

The lake sparkled in the bright rays of sunlight. Charlie had never seen something so blue in her life. However, across the other side of the lake, Bela was sat lounging on the banking having changed into a pair of dungarees and a white jumper underneath. The image of the girl relaxing threw Charlie off. As she stopped to stare, Sam walked straight into the back of her.

"What?" He questioned, shuffling a few steps away from her.

"Bela is sat down by the lake," Charlie motioned to the small figure laid between the reeds on the banking. Sam rolled his eyes and carried on walking. Charlie stayed staring at Bela for a few minutes before Sam dragged her away.

"Just talk to her for Christ's sake," he muttered as he pulled Charlie along the path.

The clearing they stopped at for lunch in was less beautiful than the walk up; the landscape was baron and the trail opened up into a dusty plain. With every move, Charlie kicked dust and nearly choked out the whole group.

Anna and Ruby sat off to the side, where the grass grew high enough so no one could see their pinkies linked. Similarly, Cassie and Dean were sat together, Dean staring at her like she was an angel. They were honestly kind of adorable, but Charlie couldn't help but feel jealous. Somehow her mind wandered back to the British beauty. She couldn't imagine why; Bela was kind of a jerk, and Charlie had had one too many relationships like that.

"You're still thinking about her?" Sam asked, sitting cross-legged beside Charlie. She nodded and frowned, before she stared off into the distance. The lake was barely visible around the side of the mountain but Charlie knew Bela was still there, taunting her.

"I still think you should talk to her," Sam said.

"Why don't you go talk to that Andy kid," Charlie snapped, harsher than she wanted to. Sam winced and her eyes widened in apology. "Sorry, it's just... I've tried talking to her. It's like she's got this invisible shield around her."

"Well that sucks," Sam mumbled. He started ripping up blades of grass and plaiting them, like they used to do when they were younger. "I don't like Andy, anyways. He's probably too stoned to remember who I am." Sam was staring at a some guy, Charlie assumed it was that Andy. He didn't look too bad, with dark hair and a barely there beard. If Charlie was attracted to dudes, she could probably be attracted to him. Either way, Sam definitely was, even if he wouldn't admit it.

The group didn't spend much longer on the mountain, the younger kids were starting to moan and fidget. Cassie lead the group back down the trail, while Dean backed them. More than once his eyes wondered to Cassie's ass. He might be Charlie's pseudo brother, but he was gross sometimes.

When the group got to the bottom of the mountain, Dean told them to go off and do what they wanted. The first thing that caught Charlie's eye was the archery boards that were being fired at by the little kids. Charlie turned to ask Sam if he was up for doing it, but he'd already sped off in another direction - probably trailing after Andy, so much for not liking him. She frowned after him, but headed to the archery boards anyway.

Jody was the councillor that was running the event. She stood behind all the young children, casually shifting their arms into better positions for firing the arrows. Though she had a militant like stance, the smile on her face softened up her exterior. Maybe she wasn't as grumpy and strict as Sam had thought. Charlie felt safe, even with all the misfires from the kids.

"Hey, Katniss, aim a little higher," Jody grinned at a girl who looked about eleven. Her hair was tied up in a fishtail plait, so it wasn't hard to guess who her favourite archer was. Charlie much preferred Hawkeye, but each to their own. When Jody saw her approaching, she strolled away from the girl and held her hand out for Charlie to shake. "Hi, I'm Jody! So which character made you want to do this?"

"Hawkeye, how'd you know?" Charlie asked.

"I've got three Katniss Everdeens, a Merida, a Robin Hood, two Legolases, and let's just say you're not my first Hawkeye," the councillor chuckled. 

"Yeah but were the other Hawkeyes Clint Barton? Because I think Kate Bishop is way cooler," Charlie smugly grinned. Yeah, she was a damn geek.

"A comic book fan? Yeah, I like Kate Bishop too," Jody replied, looking over at the archery boards. There were arrows stuck in various parts of the the boards, but most were sticking out of the floor. "So you want to give this a try?

"Definitely!" Charlie grinned enthusiastically. Jody handed her a bow, demonstrating how to hold it properly before handing it over. It took a couple of minutes before Charlie really got a handle of how to hold it, how to aim, and how to draw the tight strings. The bow felt a lot heavier than she expected it to, but it was easy enough to use. When she'd gotten the hang of it, Jody gave her a full quiver of arrows. 

Charlie aimed an arrow at the board, two fingers drawing back the string. All was going well - until she spotted Bela in her peripheral vision. Bela had nothing but a bathing suit on, showing off toned arms and legs, and had her hair tied back in French braids. She was perched on the river bank, and with a swift movement she dived gracefully into the lake. Distracted, Charlie botched her shot and fired the arrow straight into the ground.

She sighed, feeling no better than the little kids who she was laughing at earlier.When she looked back up from where her arrow was stuck in the ground, Bela was nowhere to be seen - just ripples in the surface of the lake. Damn, she was elusive; literal smoke and water. Charlie tried to concentrate on the archery. Channel your inner Hawkeye, Charlie. 

Bela came to dinner that night, her hair still wet from swimming. She sat across from Charlie at the dinner table; Charlie doubted she'd made any friends, not with her bitchy attitude, so it wasn't like she could go sit with anyone else. Still, it was like she was taunting Charlie, teasing her. So close yet so closed up. There were times when being into girls was annoying, they liked to play their little games.

She said nothing throughout the whole meal. The others all told stories of where they came from; Jo lived some place in Nebraska with her Mom and some guy named Ash, Meg was an army brat and grew up wherever her Dad was needed. Ruby was a runaway, she lived with Anna and her older brother. All eyes landed on Charlie, to explain where she was from and how she came to be, but Charlie blushed and turned away. It wasn't the first time someone had asked about her parents since the accident, but the mess hall was a very public place and Charlie really didn't want to cry like she knew she would.

Like Charlie, Bela said nothing about her family. She didn't even explain where the accent had come from. She just stayed silent, as if she was a ghost trying to assimilate with humanity. What a delightful person.

Bela left as soon as she finished eating, and was asleep before the others got back to the cabin. Why did Charlie fall for all the wrong people?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it
> 
> Please leave kudos or whatever
> 
> This chapter wasn't beta'd by anyone except for me so all mistakes are mine
> 
> Hope you all are having a good day

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this!!
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos or something, because I genuinely worked really hard on this
> 
> This was beta'd by the lovely [ casnsammy ](http://casnsammy.tumblr.com) on tumblr
> 
> My tumblr is over at [ benevolentsam ](http://benevolentsam.tumblr.com) of y'all are interested in checking it out


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